Horseradish

Armoracia rusticana

Height:
Up to 60cm
Suitable for:
Rich, deep, moist soil in sun or shade.
Summary:
Horseradish is a stout, upright perennial with vigorous spreading tendencies. It has long leaves up to 50cm long and racemes of tiny white flowers in summer. Home-made horseradish sauce is so superior to the shop bought variety that once tasted you will never buy it again!
Horseradish: Armoracia rusticana

Horseradish is a stout, upright perennial with vigorous spreading tendencies. It has long leaves up to 50cm long and racemes of tiny white flowers in summer. Home-made horseradish sauce is so superior to the shop bought variety that once tasted you will never buy it again!

More info:

Whilst horseradish prefers damp conditions it will in fact flourish anywhere. It is however a vigorous spreading perennial, that needs to be confined to a corner of the garden to prevent it invading other beds and borders.

Horseradish was primarily grown as a medicinal plant, and didn’t become popular as a flavouring until the 16th century, with its popularity originating in Germany and the Scandinavian countries.

The young leaves are milder in flavour than the very pungent root and can be used in salads and sandwiches. The leaves quickly become tough however as they grow and are really only useful to use in this way in spring.

Roots for culinary use are best gathered in the winter months, as summer dug roots do not have the depth of flavour. Horseradish sauce is traditionally served with roast beef, chicken, smoked fish etc. Care should be taken when handling horseradish, especially when peeling and grating the roots, due to the extremely pungent odour.

Horseradish Sauce

  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp vinegar
  • 4 tbs grated horseradish
  • 1 tsp prepared mustard
  • 150ml either double cream
  •    or crème fraiche
  •    or Elmlea
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

The peeled horseradish maybe grated by hand or ideally finely chopped enclosed in food processor where the fumes are kept away from your eyes.

Add all the other ingredients to the horseradish either in a bowl or directly into the food processor and blend well.

The sauce keeps well in a jar in the fridge and if Elmlea is used the sauce will keep for up to 9 months if tightly covered, so it is worth making a large batch.